Somaliland: An Overview of the 2021 Parliamentary and Local Council Elections Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan Muhammed Yasir Okumuş POLICY BRIEF COPYRIGHT © 2021 by ISIR Think Tank & Africa Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this policy brief may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISIR THINK TANK ISIR Think Tank The Institute for Strategic Insights and Off Airport Raod Masala Hargeisa Research (ISIR) is an independent, non- SOMALILAND partisan organization that uses research Phone: +252634796383 to inform its policy advocacy work. www.isirthinktank.org | [email protected] | Twitter: @IsirThinktank It undertakes impartial policy research, training and analysis to organizations and decision-makers in the horn AFRICA FOUNDATION of African region who are working Mutlukent Mahallesi 1920. Cadde toward innovative thinking to stimulate No: 31 Beysukent Çankaya 06800 Ankara formulation of sound public policies TURKEY leading to positive outcomes in the Phone: +90 312 235 05 10 fields of peace & security, good governance, safeguarding human www.afrikavakfi.org | [email protected] | rights and democracy Twitter: @afrikavakfi Africa Foundation Africa Foundation, founded in 2015, is an independent and non-profit non- governmental organization based in Ankara, Turkey. Africa Foundation conducts research and various training programs to contribute to Turkey’s human capital development and aims to raise awareness of Africa. Somaliland: An Overview of the 2021 Parliamentary and Local Council Elections Mohamed Abdirahman Hassan Muhammed Yasir Okumuş POLICY BRIEF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Somaliland is going to the ballots to elect members of the House of Representatives, mayors, and members of the Local Councils. National Electoral Commission has completed the voter registration process, and with more than 1 million registered voters will be able to vote on May 31, 2021. The elections are important as there were successive delays in the electoral process and the elections for the House of Representatives and Local Councils will be done together for the first time. ISIR Think Tank and Africa Foundation jointly prepared this policy brief for the experts and the general reader interested in the electoral process in Somaliland as well as the current situation en route to the May 2021 elections. The policy brief provides fundamental information on Somaliland’s political system and actors involved in the electoral process such as the political parties, electoral bodies, and the civil society; presents in-depth analyses on the contemporary issues ahead of the elections such as the participation of women and ethnic minorities, elections funding, and the role of diaspora; and finally, it offers recommendations to various election-related actors. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 01. OVERVIEW OF SOMALILAND’S POLITICAL CONTEXT AND HISTORY OF ELECTIONS 02. Hybrid Political System Impedes Democratic Progress 06. Sustained Term Extensions 07. Lack of Diversity of Candidates: Marginalization of Women and Ethnic Minorities 08. THE ISSUES AHEAD OF 2021 ELECTIONS 09. Parliamentary Elections 09. Local Council Elections 10. ACTORS 10. The Political Parties 10. Party Profiles 12. Bodies Managing the Election: SLNEC 13. Elections Funding 14. Other Actors: Role of CSOs, Diaspora, and International Community 15. THE NEED FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS 15. RECOMMENDATIONS 16. Somaliland An Overview of the 2021 Parliamentary and Local Council Elections INTRODUCTION n Somaliland, citizens are expected representation for people from minority clans to go to the polls in May 2021 to and women. Conversely, there is a myriad of elect legislators and local councilors challenges facing the newly elected members for the first time in 15 and 8 years, of parliament (hereon, MPs) and councilors respectively. These will be the seventh on ways to tackle corruption, fix the stagnant Ielections since 2002 and the introduction of economy, and create jobs for the rising youthful multiparty democracy. Somaliland was praised population. for conducting timely elections ever since and gained the reputation of a peaceful and A major issue on the agenda of Somaliland growing democracy within the region of the politics is the relations with Somalia. The Horn of Africa, which is marked by hostilities upcoming 2021 parliamentary elections, in and autocratic regimes. However, Somaliland is particular, will have an impact on the relations yet to graduate into a mature democracy and between Somaliland and Somalia. As there has drawn condemnation in recent years amid is no consensus between both sides on the sustained term extensions1 despite the fact that political status of Somaliland3, the newly the Somaliland constitution clearly limits office elected parliament has a high potential of terms for elected officials to five years. influencing Somaliland’s future. In addition, the Somalia government is currently in the There are only 3 political parties and over 990 process of electing members of parliament candidates in total contesting the elections for and a president through indirect elections.4 The seats in the House of Representatives (hereon, post-election term is expected to be a new era HoR) and Local Councils (hereon, LC).2 The in establishing the nature of relations between HoR comprises 82 seats, all of which are Somaliland and Somalia. directly elected, with no seats reserved for women and minority groups. With over 90% The objective of this policy outlook is to present of the candidates expected to be newcomers, an overview of the context, history, and political the elections could see the emergence of a settings on the upcoming 2021 Somaliland new wave of young and homegrown leaders, elections, as well as the various political actors despite the absence of affirmative action to and issues driving the race. enhance 1 British Embassy Mogadishu. (2019, November 27). Joint statement on delays to Somaliland parliamentary and local council elections. Gov.UK. Retrieved 12 31, 2020, from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-delays-to-somaliland-parliamentary-and-local-council-elections 2 Haji, O., Saed. (2021, January 16). Personal Interview. Hargeisa. 3 Askar, A. (2020, June 29). The Future of the Negotiation Track between Somalia and Somaliland: Chances and Challenges. Emirates Policy Centre (EPC). Re- trieved 12 31, 2020, from https://epc.ae/topic/the-future-of-the-negotiation-track-between-somalia-and-somaliland-chances-and-challenges 4 Crisis Group Africa. (2020, November 10). Staving off Violence around Somalia’s Elections. Reliefweb. Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://reliefweb.int/ report/somalia/staving-violence-around-somalia-s-elections-crisis-group-africa-briefing-n-163-10 1 Somaliland An Overview of the 2021 Parliamentary and Local Council Elections OVERVIEW OF SOMALILAND’S POLITICAL CONTEXT AND HISTORY OF ELECTIONS Somaliland was a region of the former Somali In 1993, the clans of Somaliland gathered in the Republic between1960 and1990.5 It declared its Grand Borama Conference and signed a national independence from Somalia in 1991 and has since charter.7 This was followed by the 1997 conference in been seeking to attain international independence. Hargeisa, where indirectly elected representatives Somaliland has undergone relatively successful approved a more detailed interim constitution. stages of nation and state-building since 1991. It These representatives finalized a draft constitution, has a functioning government, an army, a currency which was voted in a public referendum in 2001.8 of its own, and an infrastructural presence in Before the first legislative elections were held in most of its territories. Following the Civil War 20059, the 2001 constitution laid the framework for that overthrew the military regime of Siad Barre Somaliland’s transition from a clan-based political in 1991 and the declaration of Somaliland as an system to a multiparty system. independent state from the rest of Somalia, the Somali National Movement (hereon, SNM) militia Somaliland passed through a less anarchic forces, who defeated Siad Barre’s forces and path among political actors10 in contrast to the declared Somaliland’s withdrawal from the union of rest of Somalia during the introduction of the 1960, initiated a two-year transitional government multiparty system.11 The first elections contested in led by its then chairperson, Abdirahman Ahmed independent Somaliland were those for LC(2002 Ali. This was followed by a peaceful transfer of and 2012), followed by three election cycles for the power between five presidents in less than three presidency (2003, 2010, and 2017)and one term for decades. the bicameral legislature (2005).12 Besides Somaliland’s successful endeavor in peacebuilding,6 the process of constitution-making was also taking shape. 5 BBC. (2017, December 14). Somaliland Profile. BBC News. Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14115069 6 Soon after the resistance against the Barre regime ended and the SNM fighters emerged triumphant, the prominent figures in Somaliland society, such as the clan elders, managed to form ad hoc committees to mediate disputes, administer justice, and basically lead the stateless society. See Ibrahim, M. H., & Terlinden, U. (2010). Somalil- and:‘Home Grown Peacemaking and political reconstruction. Accord Conciliation Resources, 21, 76-79. Also see Eubank, N. (2010, January 11). Peace-Building